Maybe she will reach out to moderate elememts in the cartels!

I'll give the clintons one thing; THEY were not blatant socialists.

hillary has no experience with this kind of stuff. Having tea w/ the other leaders wives is not diplomacy. She may be the one that pushes for troops. Since when do we use troops to fight drug dealers? If we declare them terrorist (not much of a leap), would we put troops inside Mexico? In some ways I'm all for gong down there and killing them all. But I'm to old to serve and my kids are to young.

This will end up to be more expensive than a wall?

Troops are used to protect our nation. When one of our sons or daughters fall by one the these guys, how do you explain that to the parents?

There needs to be a revolution in THIS country.

When our soldiers start dying over there and here, every politician that stymied and stood against moderating immigration should be held accountable for our citizens deaths.

Because of our politicians LACK of action for immigration laws the lawmakers should be held up to a wall and shot.

We elect them for OUR safety and to uphold OUR laws. This country belongs to the lawmakers not us.

It is THEIR country, not OUR country.

Our blood is on their hands

I agree that Hillary having a sit down with Mexican officials probably wont accomplish much but we if we are truly dedicated to the so called war on drugs we need to take another look at what we are doing. Throwing more money and troops at the problem more than likely will end up being just a band-aid. Legalize the crap and grow it here if you truly want to end the violence and everything that goes along with it. You will never ever kill the demand for dope in this country any more than you will get people to give up their beer. Grow it here and tax the crap out of it.

I'd like someone to rationalize the fear of legalizing marijuana, everyday people die because of drunk drivers and we have come to accept it. Why is a beer better than a joint ?

RevG, this link will tell you why our blood will be on their hands, and it applies to much more than just the border,immigration, narcos, gang activity and weapons flow. www.cis.org/articles/2006/back706.html . As to Hillary's jaunt down south, if she just comes back with a true list of serial numbers of these southward flowing weapons, I'd be impressed. The Mexican government refuses to release them. Think about that. If those weapons were truly coming from US dealers and gunrunners, Calderon would slap the list in Mrs. Holder's little boy Eric's face so fast he'd develop breathing problems. In the article on the link, it mentions an American elected representative telling a Mexican government official to "send us more" (referring to illegal immigration). When I first read it, my first thought was Pelosi. Maybe Hillary is just going down there to seal the deal. But read the report on the link and I think you'll agree that the fight we now have will be longer and more difficult and severe than we think it will be, and the endemic cancer we will have to excise will include more than just some or all of our elected representatives.

I'm with two cents. The best way to stop these wars is to grow your own. A self-sustaining toker is ten times better than some chump who pays some other chump to buy their crap from the cartels. GROW YOUR OWN YOU LAZY PIECE OF CRAP! It's sooo much cheaper, easier and safer for everyone.

However, you are wrong when you say sitting down with Mexican officials doesn't accomplish much. We need coordination between the two countries on exactly how to end the border violence and break the cartels. If we can take down John Gotti, we can certainly take down a bunch of glamorized weed dealers. But it's most reasonable if we coordinate troops, intelligence, and supplies.

"Our insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade," she said. "Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police officers, soldiers and civilians."

Then LEGALIZE!!!!!! Put the drug cartels out of business overnight and pay off the national debt with the tax revenue!

edit: my reply to someone else's post somehow got attached to this one. Sorry for the non-sequiter!

You are correct that jail time is not a sufficient-enough deterrent. I also agree that our jails are too nice to our inmates. It is still, however, a god-awful place. But no matter how awful it is, it will never be enough of a deterrent, because most feel that, regarding getting caught, "it will never happen to me" and therefore it doesn't matter how awful it is.

If we are ever to improve the situation, we need to get away from the idea that we can reduce demand through legislation. It is stupid and a waste of time and money. Haven't we learned anything from Nancy Reagan's naive "Just Say No" program?

Demand will only be decreased by living in a happier, more peaceful world, which I am not holding my breath for. Let's use the demand to our advantage. Legalizing and taxing would bridge the budget gap in no time, while creating no more addicts than we currently have (since, as we already agree, jails are not doing enough to deter this behavior). Meanwhile, local gangs and int'l cartels have suddenly lost their currency. DUH!!!!!

Come on, Bill, when can Hillary come home?

Legalize and tax the f**k out of Hemp. Use the whole plant so as not to waste the potential uses for fabric and ropes.Take away the illegal market and the major source of income for the cartels goes away.Our free spending politicians can have funding for their habit and maybe we can keep violent criminals in jail!

It is time to legalize and institutionalized drugs. The venue for drug delivery and use will be some of our current prisons.

Let the experts work out the details.

(I have never been a recreational drug user, except occasional alcohol.)

Legalize pot and you just knocked 40-50% of the drug lords money out of the ball park. As far as taxing it, good luck as anyone anywhere can grow it for a couple of pennies a day.

"Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Eric Holder are to meet with Mexican officials in early April before Obama is expected in Mexico ahead of the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago".

Oh this is just GREAT!!! While she's in the area, she's going to check up on our Shriff Joe here in Maricopa County...FOR DOING HIS JOB at curtailing this Violence!!!

Geeez these people get me, one hand Ms. Nap-head wants to FIGHT IT, the Other, she says our immigration LAWS are UN-AMERICAN and the Illegals in our Country are Patriotic??? She ought to keep her WORTHLESS butt in Washington, and let those that KNOW WHAT THE HELL THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT DO THE JOB!!!

I'd send Joe down there...He'll do the job for Ms. Nap and the Mexican Government!

To, reply 1.1 you forgot Bill Clinton, you know the horny ex-pres.

Taxing it might not be so easy but atleast we wouldnt be spending our tax dollars on a war we can't win. Legalize it and use the same laws we have for drunk driving if you are afraid of it being abused. When is the last time you heard of someone getting baked and killing someone with their car ? With booze you hear about it every five minutes.

We have three options...

We could throw more money at the problem and put more of our own troops and officers in danger or we could build more prisons and put the users in jails or we can legalize it.

Common sense anyone ?

What a crock. Hilliary blaming us for that backwards a** nation. They dont come much more corrupt than Mexico. She was right at home down there. Problem is she came back to the US. Our status in the World will go in the crapper with the spineless obama and the weazle Hillary representing us.

When will OUR politicians make other countries accountable for what they are doing to us? Illegals killing American police officers. Mexican military crossing OUR border. OUR politicians shold all quit and be ashamed to call themselves Americans. This is OUR country not Mexico's land.

Through the unbelievable 'intelligence' of some posters we have come up with the solution to the overpopulated prison problem!! Just make everything legal... and no one is locked up!! After all, it's not a big step from legally killing an unborn baby to killing one that's been born... and then killing a 5 year old or a 15 year old or a 30 year old! What's wrong with stealing a bicycle or a motorcycle or a car? Make it all legal!! Since alcohol is the cause of many traffic deaths, just eliminate it as a cause and while we're at it eliminate drugs as a cause of any 'accidents'. In a very short time we can have the prisons all empty and no lawbreakers in the whole US, since there will be on criminal activity because everything is legal!! Just think how wonderful this country will be when drugged up parents are killing and raping the neighbors' kids and the neighbors are hacking each other to death over who'll get the loot from their latest robbery!!

I just think that it is great that they finally found something that Hillary (and Bill) is actually experienced at, she could actually be called an expert on Drug Smuggling. Can you say Mena, Arkansas? Wow she does have some experience after all.

Just my opinion.

It was ignored by LBJ and when billy boy was in the White House too. Maybe something should have been done then!

Puck2U

The only idiot is you considering that Clinton's approval rating is higher than Obama's.

You must be a female because males give Clinton a 78% approval rating compared to women whose rating is in the high 60s.

People can grow their own tobacco too yet most buy it in the stores. Reality is that most of the money made in drug trafficing does not come from marijuana. It is crack cocaine, meth, heroin and others. Legalizing marijuana has its merits. Researchers broadly accept that someone under the influence of alcohol and marijuana have common traits. Marijuana is not as physically addicting as alcohol. However, all of the other aforementioned drugs are highly addictive and very destructive. There is no educated argument to legalize cocaine, meth or heroin.

Rev G.-our children are already dieing from the illegal trafficing of drugs across our border with Mexico. The Mexican government has many pockets of corruption. The drug dealers are heavily fortified and use terrorist style tactics. The same thing could easily happen in our country. These gangsters target relatives of local and federal government officials as it is impossible to protect everyone. Could you imagine living in a country where drug dealers target policemen's children? That's what's happening in Mexico. Even the most courageous and passionate law enforcement agent or soldier lives in fear of their families' well being. As a former member of the military, I can tell you that we trained for similar missions. Yes, there will be casualties. However, everytime we see a drug related crime, isn't it the same? Better to fight the war in Mexico before it comes to the streets of the US. Besides, Mexico is alot closer than Afganistan.

JB with the number

Yesterday or the day before, CNN ran a commentary written by a Harvard Economics Professor - Jeffrey A. Miron - who believes ALL drugs should be legalized.

Miron says that the violence exists because the drugs are illegal.

This CA girl was at first shocked, but if you read his commentary, you would probably agree with him. I know I do and have already written to a few legislators in support of this viewpoint.

can't do worse that Bush or reagan. Who is it that has been opposed to shutting down that border after all. At least Bush had the gonads to build a fence which has been bitterly opposed by the dems. The drug war has been bitterly opposed by the dems as has immigration enforcement. After all it was idiot pelosi who jsut the other day was demanding that the raids agains illegal alines had to stop. You dems, there is not bigger bunch of hypocrites. We who are conservative have done everything we can to get rid of the likes of Mccain and those who are corrupt, you rally round yours and embrace em and never get rid of em!!!! You make me sick!!!! Lets make everything legal, than we won't need any cops!!! No laws, no nothing!!! Then none of us will fail to step over the bar because it is so low

She's Secretary of State of the United States, you're surfing the internet from a trailer park and she's the idiot? lol......

Everyday I read articles about the governments policies and everyday the are a complete mess. Why do Americans tolerate this crap, do we not know how to unite?

legalize drugs and spend the billions on drug awareness. oh and leave my guns out of it.

So goldfish4obama, who would you like them to 'snipe'?

Make pot legal and tax it. Problem solved.

Bush wanted a fence built and the Democrats refused to do it. Well, Hilary and Bill would know about these things first hand and so would Obama.

Why don't be herd the wild hogs down there along the river and let the illegals try to come over the river? Wild boars are pretty lethal for anyone on foot. Florida could donate a bunch of alligators to the cause too.

Stop the flow of any money across the border. No money, no guns, no drugs!

Jared you want to make alcohol illegal?  Apparently never learned about a certain bit of US history called "Prohibition" when alcohol was illegal.

Read up on Prohibition and come back and tell us how that particular situation worked out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition

This has been a Dr. Zook post:  "Just enough truth to be believable."

The new drug of ruin is Crystal Meth...

you need certain chemical compounds to create Meth period!

Where do you suppose the Mexican Meth spinners get these much needed

chemicals? Corporate America! The weapons of war, where do they get these?

Well who is the number one provider of weapons to the third world?

Corporate America! Do you see a pattern here? Now whats the next step in this social progression. Incarceration- privatize the prison system and make buckets of money! So this is the American model for democracy and capitalism? Hell no wonder Bushco and his plutocrat buds made billions and drove the US into a ditch!

The best way to combat these cartels and end the violence is to underprice them. If our government lifted the drug prohibition then people would either grow their own drugs or purchase them in legal dispensaries for a fraction of the cost. Then the cartels are forced to make money another way. History is repeating itself. Organized crime made their money during the alcohol prohibition of the early 20th century. When prohibition was lifted they had to make money another way. How convenient for the mob that soon after alcohol prohibition was lifted most drugs became illegal in America! PROHIBITION DOES NOT WORK! It creates a black market and a hotbed of violence! But leave it to the US government to screw everything up! Democrats and Republicans aside... BOTH parties are to blame! Instead of making drugs legal and regulating them, they'd rather persecute citizens in this BS drug war all while ignoring the root of the problem! Who pays for it? Prisoner Number 123456 doing 10 years for growing marijuana (and btw he never hurt anybody)! Who else pays for it? The officers and civilians caught in the crossfire! WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!

So during the elections we should not build a fence or have more border security because there was no increased violence on the boarder and certainly none bleeding over into our country. That was just an excuse of Bush's to build this big insulting wall to keep hard working desperate Mexicans from escaping to this country. Bush was a racist.

Now 60 days of Obama and there is unacceptable violence on the border that we have to do something about. But do not blame the Mexicans because it is really our fault. We have this lust for drugs that we just can't shake.

I can't believe that people accept this junk.

Build the wall and keep our border safe. If the violence bleeds over to our side of the border deal with it. Mexico should deal with their own side of things.

Anyone remember what happened with prohibbition(might be spelled wrong)? Why do you think they made it legal agian? Anything illegal brings violence and money.

Yeah make drugs legal - right. These drugs ruin lives and you want to make it legal? We want people on this stuff? You can have a glass of wine with dinner for the taste - get no buzz and then go on with the day. You can't take a shot of whatever drug for the taste with your meal. You do not smoke a joint for the taste with your meal - you do it to get high. There is a difference.

Who would want to go to the border and combat the drug dealers? If you shoot one you get thrown into prison.

If you legalize it, you won't need to tax the hell out of it, the jobs in agriculture, distribution, promotion, and store fronts alone will add so many workers to the economy it would boost us for years to come. I know, I know, some people will grow their own, but you can legally grow tomatoes now, and the grocery stores still sell tons of them. As far as the "not as bad as beer" argument, while I agree, two wrongs do not make a right, but if legal, at least it destroys the viloent circle of the blackmarket, and puts it in the books revenue wise. Obviously, the american people do not totally agree with the current status of the laws. Look anywhere, wether you smoke it or not currently, Marijuana is everywhere. Its image is on tee-shirts, in movies and some bands base their intire immage on it. Wake up people, its time to legalize an move on.

where in the hell has she been?

Okay, if the administration (as I suspected it would) is now going to lay blame on the average American for its drug demand from Mexico, then let's just do this...1) Totally cut off all trade to and from Mexico for a period twenty years. 2) Prosecute all users and peddlers in the United States to the full extint of the existing laws already on the books. 3) End all economical aid to Mexico until they get their own country in control.

It's really very simple. All it takes are some guts from those idiots and liars in office now to do so. I personally don't care anymore about Mexico's weak government and those mexican citizens who continue to break our laws by stealing their way into this great country.

I simply don't care anymore.

and....she'll bash America for something, since we are the big, bad evil empire. Offer them a few trillion, Obama seems to spread the money around...even though it isn't worth much. Smoke and Mirrors is the punch line for the Obama administration, add a few lies, and you have Washington,DC.

JB your FOX news educated rant indicates that you haven't any idea why we have a drug war in the first place, its racist roots, and sadly, like many people in this country today do not have the capacity to differentiate between smoking a joint and first degree murder. Try thinking for yourself, maybe start slow with thinking about just what it is that makes a few people in Washington eligible to make all of your own personal decisions for you.

Once again, for the thousandth time, making narcotics legal will not solve this problem!  The problem isn't drugs, its the fact that illegal syndicates have grown far too powerful in Mexico and have too many lines into the United States.  All that would happen if you made narcotics legal would be that the drug lords would merely use these same avenues and lines to bring in some other illegal item, say for example, sex slaves.  The idea that making drugs legal would solve this problem is mere pot induced foolishness.  

Put your own name on the idiot list, Puck2U

The article headline reads "US drug habits fuel border violence."

I contend that it's US drug policy that fuels border violence. I gave up smoking back in high school but I still believe that legalization of grass would go a long way towards solving a hatfull of problems:

Organized Crime mayhem both in the US and across borders

Overcrowded Prisons filled with people whose only 'crime' is smoking grass

Billions spent on the War on Drugs year after year after year

Potential tax revenue not being tapped

Money pouring out of the US and into drug cartels off shore

Need more reasons? I can probably come up with a few more.

I say make pot legal, mine the border and put up electrified fences. And drug dealers can get weapons and military hardware anywhere in the world, thats just a ruse to take peoples guns away. And pot does not destroy lives, it is not condusive to activities that are not fun. Alcohol, meth, coke, those are drugs condusive to violence, and meth and cokes patholigies are caused by their being illegal. If coke cost a dollar a gram, a lot of violence would recede, no money to be fought over. And junkies might become more productive if they didnt have to spend the day keeping "Mr Jones"away

I say, anyone doing dope gets dumped on an island. Have planes fly over and drop any and all drugs for everyone to enjoy. Leave them all there to party. Jeez, you people who do drugs, get a life.

oldcavscout,

"Finish the border fence and, if you have to, hire 10,000 border guards to keep these people from coming over the fence. If they come over the fence, deport them. If they get really ingenius about getting across (tunnels, etc.), then use lethal force.

I do not know what is wrong with our politicians. They know what must be done to seal this border..."

This is a one sided solution Mister! Ok, let seal the border and then, the users? Americans are the consumers and gun smugglers. you cut out the supplier but the consumers will keep on looking for ways to get the supply. First it was the Colombians next the Mexicans. After the Mexicans who will take the role of suppliers? Somebody out there will take the role. As long as the consumer is out there, there is no stopping on these. It is about supply and demand Mister!

#1....And Obama is going to Iran to chat & have a tea party.....ha ha ha....Then all will be OK in the world!! LOL

well no shiit, we are the addict we have responsibility for our consumption, hillary if you want to blame stand in line thats popular nowadays, but the fact is lets nail the pusher thats supplying the addict. c'mon get on the ball and quit with the blame game, the american people are blamed for anything and everything in this world, does that mean we should hesitate? no we come down with all barrels or dont do a damn thing, cant win a war half heartedly, thats why this country is spiraling downhill and out of control, nobody wants to be unpopular or not sensitive to the different groups of crying hurt feeling little whiners. shiit or get off the pot.im so sick of american blaming leftists im very ready for the movement at hand, this country is full of to many that love it to go down without a fight.

alcohol is a drug, pain killers are a drug, the list goes on and on.. please stop stereotyping, judging the so called masses of insatiable users..if that happens to be true, then most are responsible, wage earners that pay taxes also..yes, a few bad apples exist and are violent..no different than straight people..if a person is a good person, that's all that matters..when a person retorts to violence, then there is a problem..America is a very young country..I feel she should learn valuable lessons from other countries..and stop wanting to go psycho on everyone because of a live like me attitude..from diapers to ak47s, don't make sense to me..no pun intended, just a comment..oh by the way, my country tis of thee..and a law abiding citizen...

U.S. drug appetite doesnt destabilize latin american nations. U.S. drug laws do. Legalize all drugs. If I want drugs or if you want drugs you should be able to buy whatever you want.

You cant prosecute away this problem. The last 3 to 4 decades of the U.S. drug war are hard evidence. The drug war has drained the coffers of state and local government as we warehouse dope fiends and street level dealers. It has decimated the cities, turning them into free fire zones patrolled by unsupervised teenage boys and young men with guns. It would be amazing how fast this crime stops when these drugs are decriminalized.

The large corporations will either absorb or push out the narco trafficers. Once these drugs are sold in Walmart, which they eventually will be, our prison population will shrink as will the corrections budget. Our tax revenue would also increase as new revenue sources appear. That money can be shifted to pay for public goods that have been ignored for years. The rights that have been eroded by the drug war might even be restored.

Interesting !

Well, it all part of a push to attack our 2nd amendment rights!

All over the Country, there are states promoting more new laws to try and control our right to bear arms. There current attack (in many States) is to promote the marking of ammunition and the boxes it comes in and the buyer must fill out detailed information on who they are. They want to stop the reloading of ammunition among other issues.

On the Federal level, they want to ban a huge shopping list of weapons, just like they did for awhile during the Clinton administration. It was later allowed to expire and it cost the Democrats alot of Congressional seats.

Blackhawk helicopters ??? Hmmmmm ???? Not exactly sure how that will help them in a shoot out in a city full of civilians?

Someone made a comment about legalizing "pot" and comparing it to alcohol. The problem is that we currently have a problem with Drunk driving and it is illegal to do so. Legalizing "pot" will only give us more problems on the road not less.

People do not even have the good judgment to use a cell phone without causing problems while driving.

w/ out the huge demand for drugs in the U.S. there would be no supply and none of this violence directly related to it. Do something about the demand; which to me is stop treating drug use like a crime in which the person using is only hurting themselves and start giving drug use offenders real time instead of letting them in and out of jail...

Before 1914 there was no drug violence. Why? There was no illegal drugs ANYWHERE in the world.

Outlaw drugs and ONLY outlaws have them. Same as guns.

Put drugs in BACK in the hands of doctors and out of the hands of outlaws and politicians.

If you consider the fact that the government has not secured the border and does not enforce the immigration laws then yes we have contributed to the problem. Now we can once again pretend that we are taking care of this problem. But why are we giving almost 1 billion dollars to the Mexicans? The logic escapes me.

Whats your poison, alcohol, adrenelin, tobacco, anti depressants, relgion, money, sex power, chocolate, gambling or the lotto. We all have our vices and I defy someone who ski's or skydives or has any other legal dangerous pursuits that they are better than me.

^^^^ Yea, but my religion said your pursuit of happiness is WRONG, so lets waiste money & kill people to prove MY point.

It's all starting to make sence now?

Moderate elements in the cartels is equivelant to "moderat elements" in the Taliban.

Ain't such a creature madame Secretary!

Oh, that's right. It's Americas fault that the Mexican nationals have drug cartels.

Sorry, I just forgot.

I'm surprised the drug cartels haven't blown themselves to bits long before now.

A Clinton involved in a war on drugs? Now that is an oxymoron! Surprised Billy boys nose hasn't fallen off just yet from all that snortin' and the h--ll he didn't inhale.

Guess it takes a narc to know one!

Good gravy, clinton is holding this country responsible for Mexico's drug wars? What a stupid remark by her. If we had closed the borders there wouldn't be any drugs, smuggled armament or illegals coming here.

Mexico is the problem due to their greed and corrupt government and now we are going to use band aids to help stop all of this.

If we can stop all trade of any kind includding tourists like we did in China, N. Korea, Iran Cuba etc. why can't this be done to Mexico.

The only thing I can see that Mexico has done for us is to give us drugs, murderers, raptists, gangs, illegals, cheap vegetables, fruit that lack flavor and quality.

Reason!!! Too much money was at stake for the corporations who have sent our jobs to them plus getting pay offs from the drug cartels.

I am with comment 1.7 I want to see the serial numbers of all these weapons. I seriously doubt they are coming from the US. Just a way for Mexico to get more of our money. Watch hilary roll over for them. Good girl.

Who is going to fly those helicopters?

I heard just hours before Hilllary landed Mexico captured one of it's countries #1 druglord.

I wonder if Mexico will lock him up or like in the USA give him a trial, especially since in the US if your a rich criminal and can afford a good lawyer, they usually get a slap on the wrist!?

Why did the community collapse Redfish? Can't handle the truth?

What I read in this "message" to Mexico is that the Obama administration is going to endanger the second amendment to protect the foreigners.

Watch out, this guy is the reincarnation of Adolf Hitler!!

"Clinton also said Wednesday that the White House will seek an additional $80 million to help Mexico buy Blackhawk helicopters.

All that is in addition to a three-year, $1.4 billion Bush administration-era program to support Mexico's efforts. Congress already has approved $700 million. President Barack Obama has said he wants to revamp the initiative."

I must be stupid.... tell me again... WHERE EXACTLY ARE WE GETTING THE MONEY TO FUND THIS?????

Just think... if we had funded this type of intervention about twenty years ago... we would have cut down on illegal immigration; drug use and trafficking would be lower; we would have less illegal aliens in our prison systems draining our pocketbooks; and it wouldn't have cost the tax payer 2.3 billion dollars!!!!!

WTH are we doing?????

I think giving lotsa money to dick-weed countries gives our govt. leaders some sort of Chris Mathews "tingle." When's the last time a country gave the U.S. anything...other than maybe the shaft? Hillie girl, put the check book away and come home.

From my understanding the 2 women were caught in N. Korea. True or not I don't know, but you sure as hell don't know if she has done anything or not, you are just raving.

Who cares about these reporters... They were on assignment for Al Gore to try and prove his theory about Global warming.

ANOTHER Government DISTRACTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Give me a break Madam Secretary, the problem originally started with your husband's policies about minimal border patrols and allowing massive illegal immigration into the US. Now you say, we are to blame. Just more rehtoric to save our ass and oil interests in Mexico. God, Im sick of it.

verno

They were grabbed in China by N Korean soldiers. And yes I would know if she's done anything. It would be all over the news, the whole world would hear.

sounds like a good idea the mines, also if we had judges that would maximize sentences and maybe even a death penalty for possesion more than a few grams with intent to distribute and carried out immediatly might curtail the demand, win by attrition

Why does this aways turn into a legalize drugs conversation. Its not POT that's coming across the boarder its Cocaine, Meth,PCP, etc. Legalizing pot will not cut down on crime or people in prison. In most states if you have under sales amounts of Pot its only a Misdemeanor. Most marijuana is home grown it is not worth enough money to import to the us. good example one pound of cocaine value around 50,000 us dollars. A pound of majuwiana $1,606 per pound. Most of the weapons are coming into the us not going the other way. The weapons that the cartel's us are AK 47's, UZIS, MP5's all of which are not made in the us. Clinton needs to get her facts straight finish the wall put land mines and forget about mexico

Like I said, this administration is nothing but lies, smoke and mirrors. Plus budget busting like no other presidents before. Write your congressmen and senators folks, let them know how we feel. That at least seems to be waking a few of them up here lately.

Is this a confession from the clinton administration?  It certainly is NOT America's fault that mexico is full of drug dealers, arms dealers, and terrorists.  It IS the past 4 American presidents' fault that we have those mexican drug dealers, arms dealers, and illegal aliens in our country though!!!!!!

Edwin et al!

For those who are calling for the sealing of the border;

THIS IS ABOUT SUPPLY AND DEMAND! You seal the border and then? The users my friend, what are you going to do? The gun smugglers? Drugs came from South and Buyers and guns came from North. Do you forget that?

The weapons are NOT predominantly coming from the U.S.; that is a ruse that this administration wants to use to crack down on our own constitutional rights. Only someone who already wants to take away our 2nd amendment rights puts any credence in this bogus story.

Firstly, it doesn't make sense that all of the weapons that these cartels have available were purchased fraudulently and one-at-a-time in the U.S. and smuggled across the border-that's way too inefficient, particularly when one considers the thousands of gangsters that these kingpins need to have armed.

Secondly, the military style accoutrements that the story references are not widely available at gunshows. The body armor and night vision stuff you find at gunshows is antique stuff from the 1960's-1980's, hardly what one would need to challenge a state government. Also, I've been to many gunshows and have never seen live mortars and RPG's and their launchers.

Penny-ante bu--sh-- like buying through straw purchases and smuggling across the border is for penny ante bu--sh-- organizations. These guys have hundreds of millions of dollars to spend and they're running organizations of incredible complexity and sophistication. These weapons and the related equipment are being purchased from international arms merchants and landing on Mexican beaches along with all of the coca leaf from South America. Local officials are all too easily corrupted or scared into looking the other way. Also, has anyone thought that corrupt elements WITHIN the Mexican military or police are supplying these guys with stuff?

I don't believe for one second that even 1/10th of the weapons these guys get is coming from gun dealers and gunshows in the U.S. This is a ploy to take away OUR access to guns.

Alos, since when is it the Secretary of State's job to go to foreign countries as the representative of the United States and say "Ya know what, its our fault too. We're to blame for this mess." What the hell kind of representation is that? She's supposed to be looking out for OUR interests, not the foreign government's. Let their foreign minister look out for their interests when we're having a meeting. Of course, most of the progressive liberals in this administration don't REALLY believe in the idea of sovereign states anyway-they don't believe that we have any interests apart from the rest of the world. Lets all get together and SHARE responsibility for EVERYTHING. Of course since the U.S. is so much bigger and richer than Mexico, I'm sure that the U.S. share of the responsibility should be commensurately bigger. I'd rather have no Secretary of State than to have Hillary Clinton representing the United States. What a bunch of jag-offs!

If the arms they have were going down there in a dozen box at a time it would look like a locust invasion. Check the numbers. We will never know the truth. Money will be sent to Mexico and we will never know the truth. This government is full of liars.

Mike and Loyd

your right on the mark and Amen to your points.

CS

Your saying to kill US citizens because they have something that grows in the wild.....Wow you would fit right in with the old west. Hang em high at noon and we could even sell tickets for it. Think of all the money we could make! It could be like a rock concert every night...opps there might be people in the crowd lighting one up so we could have an on-core after we run out of the other convicted.

To the rest that state that the hard core drugs provide their profits your wearing rose colored glasses. 80% of their profits is marijuana profits period. The very guns they are using in Mexico are ILLEGAL weapons so I guess you could say that even with them being illegal in the US they are still getting them? So I guess making something illegal is going to stop the flow of drugs and weapons but it's not working is it? But you people still insist to keep doing the same old thing over and over but you are expecting a different result......that's called insanity. You can't stop anybody that has a desire and they'll find a way to fill it. But don't get me wrong and think that marijuana is addictive because its not period. Regarding the argument that people on marijuana will kill more people by driving your nuts. Anybody who is on marijuana that is driving will be going a lot slower then most people and they would be very aware of any of any traffic conditions and posted limits more so then anybody drinking and driving or straight. Next your going to say that their going home to ax murder their family members yeah I saw the same movie Reefer Madness and I was sent to the Dean of Boys because when the teacher asked if nobody had any questions about that movie. I told her that I couldn't hear it because I was too busy sharping my ax....owell. But you people really believe those kind of things the government tells you then just keep following the rest of the sheep. Make it legal and tax it. Heck people that could benefit from it medically can't use it now but they can get much more powerful drugs that make any common sense to you?

We are wasting trillions of dollars over this FAKE war on drugs (padding a few Mexican politicians pockets very well while doing it and they are a very very corrupt government) when we can really could un-crowd our prisons and keep the violent criminals locked up without having to release them early back in to the public to kill or rape someone else. We would also be able to turn this in to a tax revenue instead. But I guess according to some of you we could just keep what we're doing a feed the Mexico government with our money and see nothing change as usaul. After the headlines get tired of writing stories about it then it will just go off the radar for awhile but we'll keep throwing trillions to Mexico because after all it's all our fault....BS.

I am not sure who she works for other than herself. Been that way for several years now. She will go take the blame for the Americans using all the drugs. (You all know that NOBODY in any other country uses drugs) The Mexicans will bring out some stolen weapons that made it from US home burglaries and show the numbers on them. That will start the 2nd Amendment arguments again. No one even thinks that China can be a supplier of military goods or the chemicals to produce drugs. This pup and pony show will stink and all the media will eat all the crap up. It will produce no tangible answers, but Obama will send money. I will bet on all of the above.

I'd like to take issue with the idea that decriminalizing these drugs and then taxing them would somehow end the violence, fill the government coffers and make the world aright. Firstly, the idea that the public treasury should be filled off of the misery of these addicts is repugnant. One could say the same thing about alcohol, but taxing alcohol and tobacco has a historical provenece that is tough to dispute. Besides just because we tax the misery of drunks doesn't make it right to expand that strategy.

Secondly, the comparison with alcoholic prohibition in the 20's is flawed. Alcohol was legal before prohibition and all of the brewers and distillers had the infrastructure to make and distribute market quantities of booze in place. They survived prohibition by producing non-potable alcohol, near-beer, yeast, and other products. The mobsters never really had to develop the infrastructure since they predominantly just smuggled in Canadian and Cuban booze, or made small batches themselves. When prohibition ended, the big corporate producers just swung back into production with their existing capacity. For drugs like cocain, heroin, and meth, the only producers with the capacity to make market quantities of the stuff ARE the mobsters; they're the only ones in the last 100 years to do it. Even the major pharmaceutical companies would take several years to build the production capacity for this stuff. To legalize the drugs and then have them immediately available for market, we would essentially have to legitimize the drug cartels as businessmen! Doesn't sound much like putting them out of business to me. Besides, just like the American Mob, they would just re-invest their drug money into other ventures. They wouldn't give up their power and influence that easily.

I don't believe that decriminalization would lead to anything but more suffering and addiction. Having them illegal does probably prevent a lot of people from becoming addicted simply by making the thought of trying drugs a little more daunting.

The Mexican government has suppressed the numbers of people count in the crossfire. It is growing and at the very least we should restrict tourism until this situation is brought under control.Our College students shouldn't be the canary's in a coal mine to figure out if it's safe to visit Mexico for spring break.

Oops, that was supposed to read caught in the crossfire.

it's not the drug use that causes border violence; it is the black market created by the 'war on drugs' that 1) increases prices 2) makes drug use more desirable 3) 'insatiable demand' plus high prices leads to competition among suppliers 4) it is this competition and fear of getting caught that leads to suppliers arming themselves, which makes the black-market-drug-trade (indeed, any black-market trade) inherently violent.

alcohol manufacturers, suppliers and users have stopped offing eachother in record numbers ever since the repeal of the 18th amendment (prohibition, repealed by the 21st...). granted, there are risks (drunk driving, bar-fights, domestic violence) associated with the widespread availability of alcohol, and some of those same risks might be associated with the widespread availability of drugs; but these risks haven't prompted the US government to renew it's long-dead 'war on alcohol.' if the black-market for drugs was dissolved (illegality of the trade removed), quality and control of the products could be increased (perhaps reducing overdoses), prices could very well be reduced, there could be less incentive do use drugs if there isn't an air of danger, violent competition for best sale-territory and best supplier, etc, would certainly be reduced, as would the border-violence that the 'war on drugs' causes.

All but a handfull, literally less than ten, have been the druggies.

bikermom,'

That's a sound suggestion! Amen to that!

The flag of Pelosi of course. After all, ICE raids against illegals is "unAmerican".

The stupidity of many of our elected officials never ceases to amaze me.

Put up the wall Mr. Obama! (to paraphrase Reagan)

JJ

You right on with your comments but I'll go one more. We should tell Mexico that we want to stop the flow of money in to Mexico to help this fight or "war of drugs". We are going to put a tarriff on all money going back to Mexico by wire. Watch how quick they start protesting that because it's the second biggest import in their country besides oil and it's un-taxed money. So we are getting our tax that should have been collected anyway so it's a win/win. BTW I'm a numbersusa member.

Well, the Secretary blames the US (of course, all liberals blame the US for everything). This time it is comical because she blames it on the demand for drugs--I'm thinkin' you mean Bill's coke habit or is it the marijuana habit and whatcha' been smokin' yourself madame.

Thunderproof, I did not realize that we have cancelled the program that allows Mexican trucks to roll though our country? This is great news. When did that happen?

I made that comment based on what the article reported on. It stated that we had cancelled that program and further stated that was why the Mexican government had added NEW tarrifs on 89 U.S. products in retaliation. I would hate to think that that program was NOT cancelled because it was moronic thinking that brought it about in the first place. Mexican truckers could simply drive across the border and travel unimpeded for quite some distance. I gather by your comment that this program has NOT been cancelled - Is that correct?

I could not find anything in the Clinton article that we are commenting on, but I just did a search and it is true that the pilot program did not receive funding to continue. There is a bill before Congress that just took a provision out to refund the program because of US job losses related to the program (highly unpopular now!), and it is also true that the Mexican government has responded to higher tariffs on 90 US imports to Mexico. I am going to get the related article and post it to Newsvine if it has not been done.

I totally agree that the pilot was moronic......i live in AZ!

Thunderproof, I just seeded my first article if you want to find it. This issue is not being talked about and it is so important. How could we send our Sec. of State down to Mexico and this not be a headline article somewhere? Everybody is too caught up in things that seem more sensational and attention grabbing (Octo-psycho-mom), and ignoring something this important.

Anna - I agree with you whole heartedly. I don't have any direct knowledge of it other than what a few trucker buddies have told me and believe me - They were bigtime furious about it when they learned of it from the companies they work for. As it was explained to me . . Basically a truck could come across the Mexican border into the U.S. with NO IMPEDENCE WHAT-SO-EVER and drive clear up to Kansas before it's FIRST INSPECTION! I have seen a few postings and videos pertaining to this apparent FACT. The reason I call it a fact is that I have no reason to doubt my friends and there are plenty of others involved in the trucking industry who have spoken out against it.

It amazes me that this even got started. I'd love to know whose idea it was and what "Lawmakers" voted for it. This is so alarming when one takes into account the very recent additional disclosure that Hezbolah has been using Mexico as a way to traffic into the U.S. because many of the regular entries and ports that they previously were eyeing have slowly become harder to infiltrate. That, in and of itself, may seem reassuring to a degree but ONLY MINIMUMALLY.

WORD.

IT IS EASIER IN THIS COUNTRY FOR SOMEONE UNDER 21 YRS OLD TO BUY POT THAN IT IS TO BUY ALCOHOL. ASK YOURSELF WHY.

ONE IS A REGULATED MARKET, THE OTHER IS AN UNREGULATED MARKET.

LEGALIZE AND TAX THE CRAP OUT OF THIS CRAP, THEN THE U.S. MAKES GOBS OF MONEY, NOT THE CARTELS. LEGALIZATION IS NO MORE AN ENDORSEMENT OF DRUG USE THAN IT HAS BEEN OF ALCOHOL USE, SO PLEASE SPARE ME THE MORAL DILEMMA...IT DOESN'T EXIST. WHAT A STUPID LEAP OF LOGIC TO ASSUME THAT JUST BECAUSE THE GOV'T HASN'T BANNED SOMETHING, IT THEREFORE MUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE IT. DIVORCE IS LEGAL: DOES THAT MEAN THE U.S. TACITLY PROMOTES DIVORCE? GIMME A BREAK!!!

In this country, we expect our citizens to wield the right to drink alcohol responsibly, and it would be no different if other drugs were legalized. Does everyone drink alcohol responsibly? No, of course not, but a system exists that punishes those people who do not wield this LIBERTY responsibly, and that is as it should be. Why the double standard?

Excellent post Garry. Can you give me chapter and verse of that Jesus quote from the bible?

Thanks.

it'a a Paul quote in one of his earlier letters, translated into modern English, and directed to Peter, who wanted Christianity to remain Jewish.

Oh yes Barry I can see it now " Please, shoot heroin responsibly", or " Please, snort crack responsibly" . . . . Are you an absolute idiot? The only narcotic I see no reason to ban is Pot. Crack, and heroin are extremely addictive and can kill people.

If you think about it the death tolls from legalizing the stuff would be much higher than the deaths caused by the gangs fighting over it's black market. 7000 dead from gang violence? pfft. NO lets kill millions a year from its side effects brilliant idea. 

Personally I still wonder why we havent flown a @!$%# load of C-130's dropping clouds of defoliants on their opiate fields.

Mikal,

You believe it is your responsibility to keep people from killing themselves with drugs of any kind?

I think the greater moral objective should be to keep people from killing each other over drugs.

Personally I still wonder why we havent flown a @!$%# load of C-130's dropping clouds of defoliants on their opiate fields.

Been done. no effect. Is this your solution?

A related verse by Christ (Matt 15:11)

"It is not what goes into the mouth that makes a person unclean. It is what comes out of the mouth that makes a person unclean."

We're not just talking "pot" when referring to illegal drugs. Heroin, cocaine, meth, etc. etc. You know, the stuff that can and does kill americans every day. You want your kids to be able to get that poison on any corner? Not that they can't now, but if you legalize it there will be a lot more of it and cheaper available. I'm all for legalizing pot, but we have to stop the deadly drugs from getting in, and we all "know for a fact" that the best way is to seal the border with mexico! And if you guys don't think government officials on our side of the border are not getting their cut of the drug business. Go to the "war on drugs clock" and see how much of our tax dollars are being wasted on "Just Say No" stickers and other programs that benefit the politicians careers and do nothing to stop the flow of heroin, cocaine, etc. We're going to give mexico 1.4 billion dollars, illegal drugs are over a $50,000,000,000.00 a year business in America alone! Do the math. Most of the illegal drugs enter across the mexican border if you believe the D.E.A. If we took only half of the tax dollars being spent on the war on drugs, we could seal the border stopping most of the illegal drugs and giving the drug cartels nothing to murder people for, as the drug trade routes into America from mexico would be gone! Sure they'd look for other ways to smuggle their poison into America, then we could use the other half of the war on drugs to stop those. But the politicians who control the budget for the war on drugs are banking on the votes of Hispanics who see themselves as Hispanic first and American last, and the contributions of the business community that just loves cheap illegal labor. It should be obvious to anyone that our elected officials are more concerned with staying in office and keeping the benefit package average Americans can only dream about, than they are in honoring the oath they took to serve the American people.

If the illegal drug trade is a 50 billion a year business,how much tax would the government collect? would it be worth their time? Ok legalize pot, just treat it like alcohol,..can't be stoned in public,can only use it in a smokers bar ,wait what about second hand smoke? Can't toke and drive,no one under 21 can purchase it, Saw a clip on the news a little bit ago,about a large seizure of money and cash that the feds had intercepted at the border,maybe 400k and three over under shotguns? another clip showed guns supposedly confiscated from drug cartels,,,they were all US MILITARY M-16S!!!!!!!! The cartels are outgunning the police because the Mexican police and military are supplying them!!! No one in the U.S can get hand grenades .Lastly what difference does it make if these thugs are killing each other? Banning the legal possesion of firearms for American civilians to protect Mexican drug dealers is beyond me ,and if there weren't so many Illegal aliens in the U.S these drug dealers wouldn't be able to blend in so easily would they?

Ok to answer your question. Yes I would rather my child get a drug that has been cut right from a licensed supplier than to have her go to the hood and get it from some idiot trying to make his product go farther and therefore cut it with god knows what. This is not to say I want her doing drugs but I would much rather her go to someone who is knowledgable and not his first rodeo making this stuff. If someone wants to do it they WILL. Being illegal hasnt stopped jack sh*t has it? NO go down the street late at night and stop anyone you see out on the corner, bet you could get any drug you wanted within minutes of stopping. People choose to ruin their lives with drugs just like alcohol. And by the way the government really doesnt care about the so called WAR ON DRUGS cause they would no longer have jobs to do and wouldnt be making all that money when they make a bust(since they keep anything they find and reap the benifits. The people doing those jobs would have to find something else to do.

Mikal: I'm trying to keep the debate civil, so I'd appreciate it if we can avoid calling each other names. I am passionate on this issue, and I appreciate your passion as well. But to call me an idiot is hardly constructive. Take William's post, for example: he mostly disagrees with me, but does so respectfully.

I think we're getting bogged down in a lot of "what if?" scenarios, but let's back up a little bit and ask ourselves "what does it mean to live in a country that promotes liberty?" In my mind, that means that our gov't expects EACH OF US to behave responsibly with the liberties that we've been given, and those that fail to do so are punished and/or removed from society, or at the very least forced to live with the consequences of their actions. In my mind, a moral society is one that has the ability to be immoral, but chooses morality. A society that is only moral because of the sword hanging over its neck is hardly moral. A society that simply bans bad behavior does not teach us to be responsible for our own behavior, it absolves responsiblity for our actions to the gov't. The pursuiit of liberty implies that we do not tell others what they can or cannot do _within the confines of orderly society_, no matter how stupid they happen to be.

That said: I agree that pot is in a different league than meth, cocaine, crack, heroin, etc. My point is mostly that the legality or illegality of any substance matters little to the addict or problem user, but matters a lot to the otherwise-responsible law-abiding user. I do not believe that making these harder drugs legal will do much to affect the addiction problem in EITHER a positive or negative way because addicts don't really care at that point whether their "medicine" is legal or not, but that it WILL do much to affect the crime/gang/gun problem in a positive way because both users and abusers will have a legal way to obtain this stuff. In other words: addiction remains a constant or slightly rises, but related crime goes WAY down and tax revenue goes WAY up. Addiction is then treated as medical issue and not a criminal one.

William maintains that legal drugs will be cheaper and easier to get. I completely disagree. With the implied increase in regulation that legalization would bring, you're going to have higher prices due to taxes and demand, and it will be harder to get, at least for minors, as the suppliers will be anxious to make their businesses legit.

You guys also seem to maintain that legalizing these substances will dramatically increase their use. I ask you: have you personally refrained from heroin because it is illegal, or because you know it is incredibly dangerous? Were it legal, would YOU suddenly go out and start shooting up? I suspect the answer is No, and I bet the reason in your case is because of the EDUCATION you've received, not just because it is illegal. In my lifetime I have been in countless situations where I was exposed to illegal drugs, whether it be college or one of the many shows I played as a former musician. Heroin and cocaine and other substances were available to me, and I abstained from all of them. I can tell you that the reason why had very little to do with the legal status of the substance, and everything to do with how dangerous I knew them to be. You may say I'm the exception to the rule and you're probably right, but the reason I am the exception is because my parents and my public school system spent a lot of time educating me BEFORE I was exposed.

It's pretty simple, really: Drugs are a big health care problem, legal or not. In my scenario, children will have no easier time gaining access to meth than, say, a packet of dynamite. Highly regulated, exhaustive identification checks, etc. We should continue to scare the sh*t out of our kids about the effects of these substances, I hope that's not up for debate.

Barry,

I agree with you 100%. EDUCATION is the way we need to fight this problem.

I could not agree with this statement & question more: "You guys also seem to maintain that legalizing these substances will dramatically increase their use. I ask you: have you personally refrained from heroin because it is illegal, or because you know it is incredibly dangerous? Were it legal, would YOU suddenly go out and start shooting up?"

One other point that i would like to bring up that most people never think of..... I f we were to legalize pot, I believe that you would have a drop in the use of other more serious and dangerous drugs. And here is why: When anyone wants to go get some pot, they have to go to a dealer of some sorts. (unless you live in CA i guess?) That said dealer (or pusher?) usually is not only selling pot, but other drugs also. That is how people get introduced to new drugs. "Hey wanna try this?"

oHIo T

Sorry but the dealers I knew back when I was younger that dealed didn't want a thing to do with "hard drugs". The only thing they wanted to sell was marijuana period and some of them grew their own. The other thing that people need to look at by legalizing marijuana would be if it is sold legally then they can control NO seeds being sold with the marijuana. Therefore cutting down on people being able to grow their own.

You need to read your Bible again! And again, and again, and again .......

Christ is Anointed!

Kaneh bosm!!!

www.thc-ministry.org

When you say the Bible teaches "an eye for an eye" which Bible are you referring to? I believe that The Old Testament/Hebrew Bible is the text that included these words, and is pre-Christian.

Forgive me if I'm wrong. I'm an agnostic. But wouldn't it be funny if I knew more about the content of the Bible than a Christian?

All's I know is, you've just promoted the idea of "an eye for an eye" in the same sentence as "turn the other cheek." You don't find that at all contradictory?

Own Up! The problem is because of the mandatory sentences for drug offenders we have the wrong people in jail.Violent offenders are released to make way for non violent drug offenders.We need to keep violent offenders out of society.We also need to make prisoners pay their way thru labor.Nonviolent possesion only offenders should be given rehab for initial offenses (if there is no legalization of Marijuana). Hard core offenders (ala Robert Downey,jr. types) may need prison but it shouldn't be the first option. We have way too many non-violent offenders in jail and way too many violent predators on the street. Something needs to change and putting even more nonviolent offenders in jail isn't it.

Correct 'eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound' are old testament. As you said, pre-Christian. But I don't see where it says who does the punishment. There were courts and judges and they could hand out punishments and according to OT scripture, it's in kind with the injury (to a person). Also, relatives of the injured would take it upon themselves to enact punishment. Thus, the Jews set up sanctuary cities so the alleged perpetrator could seek refuge from those seeking revenge. Could people play the system? You bet! Sounds the same as today!

New Testament, e.g., Christ's sermon on the mount, gave new standards to live by such as,

"You have heard that it was said, 'AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.' But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also."

This exchange just exemplifies why quoting a few words out of the Bible and weaving them in a story to support a point of view is so often incorrect as to what the Word really wants to teach. Best to do what Garry says and continually read the Bible, seek out explanations from those truly knowledgable. Then, one might be able to quote from the Word correctly.

An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind~Ghandi.

That said, legalize, tax it, move on!

Jesus's statement that it doesn't matter so much what goes into one's mouth as what comes out of it (yes, a paraphrasing) was in response to a question about the Jewish tradition of not eating pork or the meat from an animal with cloven hooves that does not chew its cud.

Linda, if you really believe that Jesus' statement only applies in that one particular context, I feel bad for you. That implies that you are going to judge the quality of another person's soul however your government and a few bad actors CONVINCE you to judge them, without regard to any specific knowledge of cause and effect or of the individual's own circumstances and capabilities. And you refuse to open your heart and see that a drug does not inherently make a person BAD or less VALUABLE than you.

I was wondering if I was the only one on Newsvine the understood the root problem.

Nice to see I'm not alone.

Richard, The fear and the anticipated reaction to fear, class warfare and propaganda have somehow become normal, everyday tools for both parties, government and most special interest groups. Congress no longer does the "will of the people". They legislate and manipulate towards a preset agenda, and have for years.

Could not agree more with Richard. If US authorities want to start trying to solve this huge and complex problem, comparing Mexico to Iraq is not a good beginning, and will not help at all.

The problem with that is that people that actually live on the border see it as one community. It is not really Mexico, and not really the U.S., it's the Border. It has it's own customs, and language. I personally don't want my experience on the border to become one of military occupation. If you want to solve the problem, you have to look at the cause, which is the "War on Drugs". End the war, and you end the problem. Escalating government violence will only escalate the response. As long as people here do drugs, there will be a supply, and they will use whatever means necessary to make that buck.

Bob, oh Bob: do you intend on placing a border guard every 50 yards? We squeeze one side of the balloon, it just pops out somewhere else. You plug one hole, another one opens up. The demand is simply too great. Drugs aren't trickling over the border, they are flooding over the border. A wall won't work either, they'll just build more tunnels, makeshift submarines, air drops, disguised shipments.

Please, we must get away from the idea that we can reduce demand through legislation or arms. It is precisely why Prohibition failed. All Prohibition accomplished was strengthening the power of organized crime. Folks like Capone would never have wielded the power/destruction that they did were it not for Prohibition.

These Mexican and Colombian cartels are just the same thing with a different name. Why do we feel that the War on Drugs will ultimately be any more successful than Prohibition?

Not this Bob. Closing the border is impossible, and all efforts simply increase the "hydaulic" pressure. All the problems are the result of the "illegality" of drugs and are just deserts for a society which turns to coercion and violence to address every problem which presents itself. Long-suffering and persuasion would solve things better, but that would be too Christian and provide an easy target for those who live by flames and straw men, many of whom are employed to bray such opines on this blog.

Everyone seems to forget the Posse Comitatus Act which forbids the military from performing police actions on American soil unless authorized by the Constitution or by an act of Congress.

Regardless of whether pot should be legalized or not the border does need troops. JP I have relative who live on this 'border', though it is the United States side we are talking about and it is apart of the United States not some androgenous region, want the national guard to be mobilized. It is becoming increasngly more dangerous as the violence spreads. We can either do it now, and nip this before it spills over even more so into our country, or do what the poster above suggest, and wait until the cartels become even moer entrenched. Which would make ti even more difficult and bloody to remove them. Ultimately, drugs are not the problem, the problem is cartels have gotten as powerful as they have. Legalizing drugs will not stop these cartels as they will simply move onto another lucrative trade, say sex trafficking.

My family has been on the border for 150yrs., and I don't want soldiers on patrol in my neighborhood. Culturally, the border is it's own region, and has been since long before any of us were born. It's only in economic downturns, when people need an immigrant scapegoat, that people start worrying about that region, otherwise, they couldn't give a damn.

As far as the cartels are concerned, end the war on drugs, simple as that. There will always be a criminal element, but some of the most respected families in the U.S. were the drug smugglers of the last Prohibition. Drugs are absolutely the problem, that's where the cartels have made tens of billions of dollars. Us giving the corrupt government of Mexico $700M to buy helicopters from one of our defense contractors is a drop in the bucket to the cartels. You cut off their supply of money, by legalizing drugs, and then you'll do some real damage to them.

Militarization of the border, and the inevitable abuses of power that are entailed, is not acceptable to me. Besides we can't afford all of our adventurism abroad if we start doing that. It's going to be one or the other. I say we end all of our unnecessary and unconstitutional "wars on _____", and maintain our liberties here at home. I know it's a novel idea, but it beats going broke policing the world, and militarizing our cities.

700 Million dollars more for "Black Hawk Helicopters"? What their going to use Black Hawk Helicopters to bust drug dealers????? Wow and Clinton bought in to it line hook and sinker. Hell I would have to had try real hard not to laugh at that suggestion from the Mexico government. Again BLACK HAWK HELICOPTERS.....please....lololololol. Boy are they playing her for a fool. I guess the American public is getting used to hearing the words BILLIONS and next we'll get used to hearing TRILLIONS. It's never enough for the Mexican government. But we keep getting the same results from them. Legalize them and tax them and watch how fast the Mexican government will all of a suddenly say they can now control it before we legalize them.

Or you could end the unconstitutional war on drugs...., just another idea...

Yeah, I hear ya jp. It is just amazing that a good number of people still think that the drug war can be won by "fighting fire with fire".

It's a testament to human intellect I believe, and how far we still have to go. We can put men on the moon, create computers with unfathomable calculating ability, but we cannot find a solution for the drug war. Why is this??

Because the people that make intelligent, logical decisions are still the vast minority in this country. The sad fact is we will never end prohibition until enough people from the herd look to see what their neighbor is doing and mindlessly follow suit.

@!$%#ed up world we live in, but I am going to keep thinking for myself and maybe I can convince my share of "the herd".

Doing drugs in and of itself is no more or less moral than drinking alcohol or taking aspirin. It's all the act of ingesting chemicals in order to produce a certain biological effect.

Why someone who sells a joint should be shot but a company that sells Zoloft or Paxil should not, I just can't wrap my head around your twisted logic. They are both a misguided attempt for a quick emotional fix.

Why not just drop a nuclear bomb?

typical. guns, violence and coverups solve all problems

Hey Fonz know where Extacy, Crack, Heroin, Meth, came from? The governments idiot. You have to be a chemist is order to make extacy, which was used by shrinks to help depression, couples problems, etc. and the others were used for soldiers during war time to keep them alert awake and not so scared they would be in "combat mode". What normal person sits around the house mixing baking soda and cocaine? Or lithium from batteries and sleeping pills and what not. Get Educated

Fonz wants to be judge and jury? Boy I hope he doesn't get a speeding ticket from someone who just thinks anybody who speeds is putting other peoples lives at risk that thinks the same as him. Hey buddy you were speeding so I'm going to beat the hell out of you with my night stick. Can he even imaged how big our prison system would be or how many BILLIONS of dollars we'll keep spending?

Wow and to think this country was founded on laws (even though it's funny how our politicians want to follow only the laws they agree on.... just thinking about enforcing our immigration laws. It seems our new Homeland Security Director ordered all raids to be stopped against illegals and Pelosi calling our ICE agents Un-American and illegals American. Both of these people took an oath to honor and protect the laws of this nation....WOW I hope they didn't say the oath to loud where other people heard them) The is going to be a revolution here in the U.S. because this nation isn't being run For the People or By the People anymore for a long time.

some ones awake, good for your!

No-one is blaming gun owners in the United States for the huge numbers of guns being smuggled into Mexico. However, if you believe that the guns are not coming from the United States, you are extremely naive.

According to Mexican authorities, 90% of the 27,000 weapons seized originated in the United States. The weapon of choice is the Bushmaster carbine (the civilian M-16). The first line of defense are the sales clerks in the gun shops who can only ask about legal residency, felony convictions, and whether the gun is for personal use. One 23-year-old purchased eight Bushmasters on May 12, 2007 (personal use). He purchased a total of 37 guns for $42,763 in cash. Houston, Texas is the largest supplier of guns, with Dallas, Texas running a close second.

I'm not in favor of gun control, but it bothers me that my next gun will have to be an AK-47 to give me a prayer of out-gunning some drug runner.

The AK-47 (commonly called "Cuerno de Chivo", due to its shape) is the preferred weapon of Mexican drug cartels. I am afraid you will have to find something else if you want to feel you can "out-gun" them.

If that's true, then Lee's comment is mute because Ak-47s are not legally purchased anywhere in the US, and Obama is wasting his time targeting the legal gun trade when it's the black market that's supplying them.

Someone's awake I thought the same. There is a reason gun sales are up. I've bought 3 in the last 2 months. Obama will try to stop us from buying SEMI- automatic anything or 10 shot clips. Then you will really be out gunned be these druggies ! Legalize The DOOB and the gang money goes away !!!

According to Mexican authorities, 90% of the 27,000 weapons seized originated in the United States.

Yet they refuse to release the serial numbers for identification. Hum? Who's naive? The next thing you will be spouting is that there are no illegals in this country... because Mexico says so.

The majority of these weapons were sold to the Mexican Army by the very government that is claiming its own people are doing so. The corrupt Mexican Army is selling these guns to the cartels.

There is only one solutions to this:

1) legalize! Cut off the black market and the problem is solved.

If you choose to use a drug, that's YOUR business. Ever here of Liberty? I will choose to NOT use drugs. What you do with your body is not my business. Besides, tax the hell out of it, how much revenue is created from that? A helluva lot more than is spent fighting a battle that can not be won.

Larry...this was the first thing that jumped out in the article to me. The fear that the new administration is going to use this issue as their platform to ban guns or certainly tighten gun laws for law abiding US citizens. Like you...my family has bought several new guns recently. And my husband and I have just obtained our concealed carry permits.

However, in our area of this great land, we are fighting a serious issue with illegals....and we don't even live in a "border state". The government certainly appears to be soft on illegals, but harsh on gun ownership for law abiding US citizens. It is so 'effing backwards!!!!! It scares the h&ll out of me.

Lee I have no trust that the Mexican authorities are telling the truth about the type of weapons seized. Every time I've seen videos of shootouts the criminals seem to be firing Uzis or Tech 9 type machine pistols not AK's or M-16 type rifles. I favor legalization of marijuana (only) with enough taxes to provide funding for rehabs for other drugs. Provide revenue for American needs not Mexico's.

i agree and they are probably cheaper in central and south america

So when this 23 year old purchased these 7 guns he would have had to fill out form 4473 which means he would have had to have an instant background check which means that the FBI and the ATF would have immediately denied this transaction because you cannot make multple purchases of more than three long guns or two handguns. when you purchaes 37 guns in a short period those guys in the blue windbreakers will pay you a visit and Bushmaster is just one of about a dozen manufacturers making AR type rifles and contrary to urban legend they cannot be readily converted to full auto. Most of the guns getting into the hands of these drug cartels are coming from the U.S ... the U.S government... in the form of M16s and grenades supplied to the Mexican military and police and then sold to the cartels by corrupt cops or soldiers because money talks and B.S walks trying to ban "assault weapons" in the U.S to fight the Mexican drug war is more smoke and mirrors ...scare tactics...furthering the great socialist movement of the 21st century Yes they are blaming American gun owners for Mexicos problem

What do wanna bet that if American weapons are being found on the cartel members that they are not being smuggled in but were bought from the Federalis and Mexican soldiers. Big clue here is that there are no seriel numbers which all guns manufactured in the US have.

The 90% figure for guns captured in Mexico that came from the US was for a select few of the guns captured, those that were thought to be most likely to have come from the US. There are many thousands more that were not checked that most likely came from corrupt Mexican army and police and Colombia. In fact the LA Times, a newspaper not known for being pro gun, stated most of the guns aquired by the Mexican cartels came from Colombia.

I believe them when they say that a lot of the guns come from the U.S., but the reaction should not be to take away our rights here. Not that long ago ABC had a story that mentioned the gun smuggling, and then asked, "Is the Second Amendment the problem?" Hmmm, maybe it's the war on drugs that should end, not the Bill of Rights...just a suggestion.

Inevitably, as Rahm Emmanuel, and I'm sure countless others on both sides of the aisle, "don't let a good crisis go to waste". They'll use it to take away our rights, because we can't be trusted with too much freedom. Aren't we lucky we have our elected officials to take care of our every need?

The funny thing is; we gave $900 million to Hamas in Gaza. Hamas is a known terror org, the Prs of Mexico is known to be on the take. The problem in Mexico will actually affect Americans, nothing hamas does may ever reach us.
The obama crew loves terrorist more than it hates drug cartels.

Funny sad, not funny haha.

Sad but true.

You're both delusional. I get my news from ALL sources, unlike you clowns who are brainwashed by the leftists radicals.

The fact that it bothers you to hear opposing views says everything about you.

Kit...you're my new BFF.

haha, leftist radicals. man, republican conservatives are always so angry. Why is that? Why does your butt hurt so much?

I prefer to get my news from factual resources, rather than fake news (fox news). What can I say, I prefer the truth. :)

David, in my eyes its always the liberals who are so angry, funny thing about anger and irrationality, it crosses party lines. And if you think you are getting factual news from MSNBC and CNN more so than Fox, then you have been truly duped. The simple fact is, across all mediums, paper, radio, tv, news reporting is terribly shoddy.

kit...You are absolutely correct!!!

Do they still have debate classes in High School? You have to have both sides of the argument. I get my news from everywhere. I know the difference in BS and facts. I ask for the facts, not opinion.

NAIVE!!!! For every hole in the dyke you stick your finger into, another hole will pop up. Build a wall, they will tunnel underneath it. Place border guards every 50 yards across the entire border, and they will bring it in by boat. They have already begun making makeshift submarines! Or they will hide it in otherwise legit cargo shipments.

The drugs are coming, and there's nothing you or I can do about it. Prohibition did nothing but create more crime, it did nothing to reduce alcohol consumption. If this stuff is legalized and regulated, then minors have a harder time getting at it, and the gangs and cartels lose their income to the legit businesses. Instead of SPENDING billions of dollars in a futile attempt to stem demand, we could be MAKING billions of dollars in tax revenue.

I agree with Barry, the drug smmuglers will find a way, as long as there is a demand, it will be available. Tax it.

Barry that is no reason to not do these things. That is akin to saying for every way the government finds a way to prevent counterfeiting the criminals will find a way to evade it, so we should just not even bother. That sir, is called being lazy, and irrational. Of course they will find another way, but it will be harder, and I would rather not have a border that leaks like a seize. It goes beyond even illegal immigration or drugs wars, what about spies? Terrorism? Or how about showing the world that we are a sovereign nation? And if you honestly think that legalizing drugs will solve this problem, then think again long and hard, because off of the top of my head I can tell you what is wrong with that idea. Heres a hint. Look at my previous posts.

You are saying that its lazy and irrational to stop wasting millions of dollars a year in a futile attempt to stem demand? I agree we need tighter borders, but hardly because of the drug trade. I believe we can be more efficient in our border protection, without the need to actually go all Great Wall on Mexico's a$$ or put an army on the border. Such a waste of money. I do not believe that legalization would do anything to protect us from individuals who wish to do this country harm, like terrorists or spies. I am not advocating for looser borders or for borders to stay the same as they are. But I do believe that legalization will rob gangs and cartels of the majority of their economy and reduce violent crime far more effectively than tighter borders will. I don't mind spending money to make it harder for criminals to commit crimes here, but I want that money spent effectively & efficiently. I don't want it pi$$ed away. I believe a wall is tremendously expensive, inefficient overkill.

Did I say anything about a wall Barry? What I and Millions of my fellow Americans would like to see (realistically) is a FULL effort. Not the half hearted game they've been playing on our side for decades. It's been about politics Barry. The politics of Cheap labor and votes. The politics of not pissing off the corrupt Mexican Government. The politics of NAFTA and that ambiguous thing called free trade. It's about a lot of things Barry. It's about everything EXCEPT protecting our sovereign borders Barry.

No... it is the lack of enforcement of the border ... it does not matter what the market is if you deny the access.

Even if we sealed the border completely and started a complete Nazi type government spying on every citizen (which that is pretty much the only thing this will stop) people will still obtain it period. I think many people would be very surprised about how easy it is to grow pot. Just throw the seeds out in the right conditions and it grows (it's a natural weed and is a native plant here in N. America). I watched a history channel show about our very first DEA director. He stated that when he first got his job he was driving around thinking about how best to do his job. After driving for awhile he stopped to rest and then after looking at the scenery that he noticed that he was looking at it just growing all over this hill. It was then that he really wondered how was he going to stop something like this that just grows natural.

So go ahead seal the border completely and keep wasting BILLIONS of dollars on this FAKE WAR ON DRUGS if it makes you feel safer. Heck let's make liquor illegal as well look at how many lives are wasted every year to that. Let the U.S. Government decide for YOU what they think is in your best interests. We all know how much we can trust them right? Wrong and they are just one step away from being as corrupt as the Mexican government. Anybody who thinks other wise is really a blind sheep. They will sell us out in a heartbeat if they know they can get away with it. That's why they have turned a blind eye to the illegal problem for years. But don't be fooled there will still be "illegal drugs" to be had in the U.S. and the hard ones will be very deadly to our youth with no regulation at all. But you'll feel safe at your home because it's illegal and our government will protect you. But let's also take away your guns because Mexico is getting "illegal guns" from America even though they won't give us the serial numbers so I guess we have to take their word for it. I would be very interested to know if they are also requesting more of our "illegal" guns legally as well.....10-1 odds they are because they already lost the ones we gave them...surprise!

I am sick and tired of it..

Mexicans get their guns from the drug cartels in South America not from gun dealers in the US.  Wake up if they can get boatloads of drugs from Columbia you don't think they get guns too.  Disarming the US will not slow down the automatic weapons (machine guns)and hand grenades entering Mexico.

Don't people who write here read here?

I agree with everyone that says taxation is the solution to all that ails us! We can reduce crime, create jobs, and pay for the social programs that are now needed to assist all the people who are under-educated enough to buy a $500,000 house when they make $50,000 a year. Whether you are a democrat or republican, you have to be able to see the future disaster we are creating with all this spending. We can recoup most if not all of it by simply legalizing something that is safer than alcohol and cigarettes.

Dan................Since when is Meth, Cocain, Opium, Heroin, etc. safer than alcohol and cigaretts?

Dan ...

I am not proclaiming one is better than the other but .... people die from Alcohol addiction, never from heroin addiction. Heroin is closely related to the bodies natural chemicals and of itself does no damage to the body (the cutting substances do). Alcohol destroys body organs and mental function. Cigarettes destroy almost every body organ. In the long run, as far as physical safety, cocaine heroin and opium are benign. Alcohol and cigarettes are active destructive elements to the body

I comment the Obama administration for not smoking in the subway.

I comment the Obama administration for destroying the tax stamp when they open playing cards.

I comment the Obama administration for stopping when the gates are down and the lights flashing.

I comment the Obama administration for tearing along the dotted line.

I comment the Obama administration for not accepting the peanut butter without the seal.

I comment the Obama administration for using no hooks

I comment the Obama administration for keeping right except when passing

Get my point?

That is the problem in a nutshell, addicted Americans are driving this illegal drug war.

Yea steps will be taken and Americans will pay for it and be punished for it.

Ms Clinton is doing the best she can given her restraints, which I think in the future may be addressed more intelligently. We cannot end the drug war until we decriminalize drugs. Prohibitition has never, ever worked as a solution.

Actually prohibition worked pretty darn well. There were very few alcoholics during prohibition and much less use of the most popular drug of our time, alcohol during prohibition by a long way than there is now.Alcohol abuse costs millions--billions of dollars. Don't use that for an excuse to legalize currently illegal drugs. Just illegalize booze and cigs too. Our society will be better for it when they get used to getting rid of their addictions.

This is the land of the free Juno. Hug trees and eat humas until it's pouring out your ears. I won't knock you. I don't give a rats a$$ what you. I'm all for live and let live. Neither you or Osama or anyone has the right to tell me what I can do to my body. If we took your example and said abolish abortion because it's murdering another human being and it has cause many MORE problem for women who live with the fact they murdered than the few months of *shame* they'll have to overcome. Outlaw teen sex and it will just be plain better for our kids once they used to the fact that they're not prepared physically or mentally to handle it.

Yea, Juno, outlaw everything YOU don't understand or like. That is the American way.

Juno

There were more alcoholics created int eh prohibition years than when it was legal. Drugs... all drugs, there are no harmless ones.... should not be legal or easily obtained. Prohibition is at least an attempt to control the harm they do to society. For those who spout legalization, look at the success of countries who went that rout and why they stepped back.

So what your saying is, you want your teenagers to do bad drugs and die? Good idea you idiot.

Just kill everyone. Why take any chances?

Jared and John,

You clearly have no idea what freedom means. You have clearly never read the Constitution. If you have, then your souls seem as perverted as Hitler's. May your door be busted down and your dog shot by a botched drug raid...

What about those users that DO hold down jobs and perform well? What about the families of people you have killed? What about the murders that would be on your hands? I'd hate to have to answer to any higher power for your suggestions... good luck to you in life, you sound like you need it.